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QMI Agency

Jan 21, 2014

, Last Updated: 5:27 PM ET

Erik Karlsson considers last year’s incident involving Minnesota Wild winger Matt Cooke to be in the rearview mirror. He'd rather close the book on that chapter of his career, when Cooke – then a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins – sliced the Swedish defenceman’s Achilles with his skate.

Though league officials won't confirm it, it's believed Melnyk and Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray were at the NHL's head office in New York Monday to present the findings of an investigation the club did on whether or not the incident was accidental.

“I think it’s really strange,” Cooke told the Minneapolis Star Tribune after hearing of the potential investigation. “It’s almost a full year ago that it happened. I’ve said this from the beginning and I still say it. It was a complete accident. It’s happened two or three times since with other guys.”

Karlsson doesn't sound like he'll be waiting to get the results from Melnyk.

"I heard about it," Karlsson told QMI Agency. "It's not something that I'm personally involved in or something I put any focus on.

"(Melnyk) is a very emotional guy and he cares about this team deeply. He's always had our back. If he's done something he wants to do and move forward with that's totally up to him.”

Cookie is taking a similar approach.

“I can’t control it,” Cooke said. “I learned a long time ago, all I can control is my actions and my words. I try to do that to the best that I can. Other people are going to have judgments. They’re entitled to their own opinions. I can’t tell this guy how to spend his money. He’s entitled to do what he wants.”

According to the Star Tribune, the meeting between Senators brass and the NHL won’t affect Cooke or the Wild.